1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus and method, and to a storage medium, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for processing contents usable by an apparatus which can synchronously reproduce a plurality of media data, and to a storage medium.
2. Related Background Art
Dynamic contents using moving images and sounds are practically used nowadays because of improvements on computer processing speeds. In order to access information contained in such contents, all the information may be reproduced. However, this approach is not practical when only the digest of the contents is necessary. It is effective for generating a digest by picking up important information from the contents to present the digest to a user. Various methods of generating a digest from moving images have been proposed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-009310.
With wide spread of the Internet, there is a need for high speed transmission of dynamic contents. The contents including only moving images and audio data require a transmission of a large amount of data. A unit is under practical use which can generate dynamic contents by combining media data sets having a relatively small data transfer amount such as texts and still images.
Generating a digest of such dynamic contents made of a combination of a plurality of media data sets is also effective.
Already proposed digest generating methods can generate a digest of contents made of a single type of media data. However, they cannot generate a digest of contents made of a plurality of media data sets including still images and texts in addition to moving images and sounds.
If a portion of a document constituted of a plurality of media data sets including still images and texts in addition to moving images and sounds and its reproduction control information, is to be reproduced, it is necessary to perform a fast feed to the portion to be reproduced. A user feels inconvenient to use the apparatus.
It is an object of the invention to solve all or at least one of the above-described problems.
It is another object of the present invention to process contents made of a plurality of media data sets and generate, for example, a digest of the contents.
Under these objects of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses a data processing apparatus comprising: an inputting unit for inputting a plurality of media data and data describing time relation among the media data; an inter-media data time analyzing unit for analyzing the time relation among the media data; a scene selecting unit for selecting a representative scene on the basis of a result obtained by the inter-media data time analyzing unit; a media data extracting unit for extracting information including the representative scene from each media data; and a multimedia data restructuring unit for restructuring the extracted information.
It is another object of the invention to provide the data processing apparatus capable of generating a digest of even the contents whose media data change their reproduction contents during the reproduction.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus which includes an intra-media data time analyzing unit for analyzing contents of each media data in accordance with a type of the media data.
It is another object of the invention to provide the data processing apparatus capable of generating a digest of even the contents whose media data contain video data and sound data changing their reproduction contents.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus which includes a unit for detecting a change point of video data or audio data.
It is another object of the present invention to make it easy to select a scene to be reproduced, from digests of dynamic contents.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus in which the multimedia data restructuring unit outputs data of an HTML format.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the data processing apparatus capable of generating a digest of contents using SMIL.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the data processing apparatus in which a scene to be selected is determined from information obtained from each media data.
Under such objects of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus wherein the scene selecting unit includes an importance degree calculating unit for calculating an importance degree of each media data, an importance degree calculating unit responsive to the importance degree of each media data for calculating an importance degree of a whole scene, and a selecting unit for selecting a scene having a higher importance degree.
Another object of the invention is to provide a data processing apparatus which uses a document constituted of a plurality type of media data and reproduction control information defining the reproduction time relation of the media data, and can reproduce each scene.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus comprising: an inputting unit for inputting plural types of media data and reproduction control information defining a reproduction time relation among the media data; and preparing unit for preparing scene reproduction control information for reproducing a scene selected from information relating to the plural types of media data, differently from the reproduction control information input to the inputting means.
Another object of the invention is to provide the data processing apparatus capable of judging necessary scenes from digest data even if a digest screen is not set.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus which includes a digest data preparing unit for preparing digest data of a plurality of scenes from the plural types of media data input to the inputting means.
Another object of the invention is to provide the data processing apparatus capable of reproducing a scene at the same time when the digest data is selected.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus in which correlates the scene reproduction control information with the digest data of the scene.
Another object of the invention is to provide the data processing apparatus capable of properly dividing an input document into a plurality of scenes.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus which includes a unit for analyzing the time relation among the media data.
Another object of the invention is to provide the data processing apparatus capable of easily selecting a scene desired by a user.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus which includes a scene selection data preparing unit for generating data for providing digest data of each scene.
Another object of the invention is to provide the data processing apparatus capable of generating a document from which a scene can be selected and reproduced, from a document whose reproduction media data type changes or whose reproduction contents of media sets change.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus which includes an intra-media time analyzing unit for analyzing the contents of a scene for each type of the media data.
Another object of the invention is to provide the data processing apparatus capable of utilizing for scene division the timing when the reproduction media data changes, which timing is likely to change the data contents greatly.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus in which the intra-media time analyzing unit includes a unit for detecting a timing when the type of the media data of each scene changes.
Another object of the invention is to provide the data processing apparatus capable of facilitating to reproduce scenes synchronously with a plurality of media data.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus in which the scene reproduction control information generating unit and a scene selection data generating unit output data of an SMIL format.
Another object of the invention is to provide the data processing apparatus capable of providing a digest of a scene having a high variation degree.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus in which the scene dividing unit calculates the variation degree of the media data of each scene and divides the reproduction time into scenes in accordance with the variation degree.
Another object of the invention is to provide the data processing apparatus capable of providing various scene division method, such as integrating scenes having a low variation degree not suitable for digests.
Under such an object of the invention, a preferred embodiment discloses the data processing apparatus in which divided scenes are integrated in accordance with the variation degree.